Vaibha Suryavanshi to play in Dalip Trophy final; Mohammed Siraj and Devdhadhath Padhikkal participating; Kel Rahul rests

The 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) has reached a critical point where every victory in a test match can change the chances of reaching the final. Currently, Australia leads with 8 wins out of 10 matches and 80% points. Following them are South Africa with 75% and New Zealand with 72.22%.

As for India, the team ranks fifth in the WTC table, having secured 5 wins in 11 matches, which accounts for 51.52% of the points. After defeating Sri Lanka in Galle by 165 runs, India drew the match in Colombo, winning the two-match series 1-0. Nevertheless, to advance in the race for the final, India needs to minimize errors in upcoming series.

The 2023 WTC champion, Australia, started this cycle almost perfectly. After defeating West Indies in a series, the team maintained its advantage in the Ashes home matches. Although an unexpected loss to Bangladesh slightly reduced its lead, the win in the UAE allowed Australia to strengthen its position. With only two losses out of ten, the team is a strong candidate for a third WTC final appearance. Ahead of it are challenging tours in South Africa and India, as well as a match against New Zealand over four test matches at the end of 2026.

The reigning champion South Africa has solidified its claims by defeating India on its territory with a score of 2-0. This victory was one of the most significant achievements in the team's campaign, as it was the first series win against India in 25 years. Despite a draw in the series against Pakistan, the team secured three wins in four matches. In the future, South Africa will host visits from strong teams such as Australia and England.

The inaugural WTC champion, New Zealand, started this cycle late but quickly demonstrated its potential. After defeating West Indies in a series, the team beat England on their home ground with a score of 2-1. Two consecutive wins after the first defeat demonstrate New Zealand's resilience. The team has four wins in six matches. In addition to home series against India and Sri Lanka, it faces tough matches against Australia and Pakistan.

Despite losing the initial series in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh made an impressive comeback. A victory over Australia on their home ground allowed the team to make serious claims in the WTC final race. The home series win against Pakistan was also important. Now attention will be focused on Bangladesh's performances in home series against West Indies and England, as well as during the tour in South Africa.

A romantic series against England, ending in a draw, and a loss to South Africa on home soil pushed India down the WTC table. India, a two-time tournament finalist, has completed more than half of its journey and must urgently improve its position. The start of the tour in Sri Lanka was marked by a brilliant victory in Galle by 165 runs, thanks to Devdutt Padikkala's century and Manav Sudar's powerful play. In Colombo, the team was in a position to win the series 2-0, but Sonali Dinushi's tenacious play led to a draw. Although India won the series 1-0, more points were expected for the final race. Now India has two tests in New Zealand, followed by five home matches against Australia, which will be crucial for its hopes of reaching the final.

Sri Lanka began the cycle with a victory over Bangladesh, but then faced difficulties: a loss to West Indies and a loss in the match in Galle against India. Sonali Dinushi's performance in Colombo prevented a clean sweep by India. However, with only one win in six matches, the path to the final remains very difficult. The next series against South Africa, Pakistan, and New Zealand will be a real test for Sri Lanka.

After losing the home series to New Zealand 1-2 and losing the Ashes 1-4, England ranks seventh in the WTC table. In addition to five wins in 14 matches, its position was worsened by penalty points received due to slow play. The victory over Pakistan brought some relief, but consistent wins are necessary to return to the final race.

The victory in the first match against Pakistan secured West Indies' second win in this cycle, but the draw in the second match prevented them from succeeding in the series. Earlier, the team achieved its first series victory by beating Sri Lanka 1-0. Now they have one last series against Bangladesh, which they aim to finish with a win.

After a draw in the home series against South Africa, Pakistan lost to Bangladesh 0-2. Returning from West Indies, the team...

In the second Test match between India and Sri Lanka, held in Colombo, the Indian team is showing strong form. However, the third day's final session was marred by rain.

If the weather conditions remain the same, the mathematical calculations of the Indian team may be disrupted. By the end of the third day, Sri Lanka had scored 265 runs, losing 8 wickets for 83.4 overs, trailing India's substantial score of 503 runs. Sri Lanka needs to score another 39 runs to avoid a follow-on.

Sonal Dinusha (85 runs) and Lahiru Kumar (8 runs) remained on the field. The innings of Dinusha and Pasindu Suriyabanda (80 runs) provided some support to Sri Lanka, while Prasidh Krishna and Manav Sutera performed excellently with the ball, taking three wickets each.

Forecasts for the fourth and fifth days (August 27 and 28) in Colombo indicate heavy rain and thunderstorms. If the match is interrupted due to rain and ends in a draw, it will deal a serious blow to India's pursuit of a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

India needed to win this match at all costs to guarantee its place in the WTC final without unnecessary complications. If the match is cancelled due to bad weather, valuable points will be lost from India's tally. After this tour of Sri Lanka, India has 7 more Test matches to play: two against New Zealand and five against Australia.

By winning the match in Colombo, India will need to win at least 5 of the next 7 matches. In case of a draw or cancellation due to rain, India will have to win at least 6 of the subsequent 7 games. A victory against such a strong team as Australia on their home ground is never easy. Thus, if the match against Sri Lanka is missed due to rain, it will make India's path to the WTC final extremely difficult.

For the Indian team to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final, it must demonstrate outstanding performance in the remaining matches. Currently, the Indian team ranks fifth in the points table, making the path forward challenging.

Former head coach Rahul Dravid believes that the Indian squad is slightly behind in this race, but he is confident in the team's ability to recover. India has seven Test matches left after its tour of Sri Lanka. To secure a spot in the final, the team led by Shubman Gill needs to win at least six games.

Despite the victory over Sri Lanka, the team will need to achieve consistent wins in upcoming fixtures. India is scheduled to play two Tests in New Zealand, where conditions are always difficult, and young players will require time to adapt.

The potential absence of experienced batsmen such as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ajinkya Rahane could pose a serious test for the new team during the matches in New Zealand. Furthermore, in January, the Australian team will visit India for a series of five Test matches. The Australian athletes will aim to win the series in India, as their current generation has never won a Test series in India.

Rahul Dravid expresses hope that the Indian team should not be underestimated, even despite the significant challenges and the lack of experience from senior players. He believes that if the players remain in form and execute the correct strategy, the dream of a final appearance can become a reality. Dravid expressed hope that the Indian players will deliver their best against New Zealand and Australia.

India secured a convincing victory in the first match of the two-match series against Sri Lanka in Colombo, where Indian batsmen showed excellent skill in the second Test. Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel scored a hundred each, forcing Sri Lanka into a defensive approach in the Colombo match. Nevertheless, even after winning this series, reaching the World Test Championship final will be a difficult task for India.